An Act amending Title 16 (Counties) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in coroner, further providing for coroner's investigation and providing for sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1689 PRINTER'S NO. 1877
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1442
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY BOROWSKI, FLOOD, HILL-EVANS, DIAMOND, OLSOMMER,
VENKAT, FREEMAN, GIRAL, CERRATO, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, SANCHEZ,
WARREN, CURRY AND GREEN, MAY 12, 2025
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
AS AMENDED, JUNE 10, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 16 (Counties) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes, in coroner, further providing for coroner's
investigation and providing for sudden unexpected death in
epilepsy.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 13918(a) of Title 16 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a paragraph to read:
§ 13918. Coroner's investigation.
(a) Duties.--The coroner having a view of the body shall
investigate the facts and circumstances concerning a death that
appears to have happened within the county, notwithstanding
where the cause of the death may have occurred, for the purpose
of determining if an autopsy or inquest should be conducted in
the following cases:
* * *
(12) A sudden unexplained death in a person diagnosed
with epilepsy.
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Section 2. Title 16 is amended by adding a section to read:
§ 13921.1. Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.
(a) Inquiry.--An autopsy INVESTIGATION conducted by a
coroner in this Commonwealth shall include an inquiry to
determine whether the death of the deceased individual was a
direct result of a seizure or epilepsy.
(b) Duties of coroner.--If the findings of the autopsy
INVESTIGATION under subsection (a) are consistent with known
SUDEP or suspected SUDEP, the coroner shall:
(1) Cause to be indicated on the death certificate of
the deceased individual that SUDEP is the cause or suspected
cause of death, when appropriate.
(2) Provide the next of kin contact information for a
third-party entity that documents and analyzes SUDEP deaths
in order to reveal SUDEP risk factors and causes.
(c) Applicability.--This section shall apply to counties of
the first class, second class, second class A, third class,
fourth class, fifth class, sixth class, seventh class and eighth
class.
(d) Definition.--As used in this section, the term "sudden
unexpected death in epilepsy" or "SUDEP" shall refer to a death
in a patient previously diagnosed with epilepsy that is not due
to trauma, drowning, status epilepticus or other known causes
but for which there is often evidence of an associated seizure.
STRUCTURAL CAUSES. A finding of SUDEP is definite when clinical
criteria are met and an autopsy reveals no alternative cause of
death, including stroke, myocardial infarction or drug
intoxication , although there may be evidence of a seizure .
Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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